Tropical Fruit Salad
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This tropical fruit salad is a refreshing mix of pineapple, apples, grapes, bananas, kiwi, berries, and oranges tossed in a creamy yogurt dressing.
Looking for a treat as indulgent as a dessert minus the guilt? Treat yourself to a tropical fruit cup!
This delicious salad is coated in a creamy dairy-free yogurt dressing, perfect for getting your sweet fix.
It’s also great for entertaining and worthy of being your dessert table centerpiece!
You can make your very own vegan yogurt for this salad! And for a touch of sweetness, try this vegan condensed milk.
Why You’ll Love This Tropical Fruit Salad Recipe
- This tropical fruit salad tastes indulgent but keeps things light! It skips the heavy dairy cream and refined sugar and opts for a Greek-style vegan yogurt and maple syrup instead.
- Enjoy this versatile treat any time of the day, whether with your breakfast oatmeal, as a mid-day snack, or when you need something sweet after a savory dinner. And with how easy it is to make, this fruit salad can also be your last-minute dessert for any party!
- Customize your tropical fruit cup however you like. There are plenty of variations you can try. You can even get inspired by the season and add seasonal fruits!
Ingredients And Substitutions For Tropical Fruit Cup
Pineapple tidbits – We’ll bypass the extra prep work and use canned pineapple tidbits.
Apples – You can use any apple you like, but the crisp and tart Granny Smith adds texture and flavor variety to the tropical salad.
Red grapes – Use seedless grapes for easy eating!
Bananas – Add the bananas right before serving as they oxidize fairly quickly.
Kiwi fruit – We’ll peel the kiwi for a more enjoyable texture in the colorful fruit salad.
Strawberries – While this is a tropical fruit salad, you can also add other fruits, like strawberries, for a pop of color.
Blueberries – Juicy blueberries will also be enjoyable in this refreshing mix.
Mandarin orange – This tropical delight will be incomplete without this citrus fruit!
For the dressing:
Pineapple juice – In addition to providing flavor, pineapple juice also keeps the bananas from turning brown quickly.
Coconut oil – Adds a tropical touch to the dressing.
Maple syrup – You can use any sweetener you like.
Lemon juice – Adds brightness to the rich and creamy fruit salad dressing.
Cornstarch – For thickening the dressing.
Water – For balancing the flavors and adjusting the yogurt dressing’s consistency.
Dairy-free Greek yogurt – The star ingredient of our creamy dressing.
Want more textures in your fresh fruit salad? Stir in some chia seeds, walnuts, and shredded coconut!
Tips For Making Fruit Salad with Tropical Fruits
Feel Free to Be Creative
Get creative with your tropical fruit salad and add other fruits to the mix! Go for a variety of colors, textures, and flavors, and add fruits like fresh papaya, mango, cantaloupe, pomegranate, and blackberries.
Use a Different Dressing
If you prefer a less indulgent take on your tropical fruit cup, swap the yogurt dressing for a simple honey lime dressing. The mixture of vegan honey, lime, and lemon juice adds just the right amount of sweetness and tanginess.
Storage Tips
This tropical fruit salad tastes best freshly made, but it’s also delicious when chilled. For leftovers, store the fruit salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days, as the fruits have a high water content that can thin out the creamy yogurt dressing.
Tropical Fruits Salad Recipe FAQs
What is tropical fruit salad?
A tropical fruit salad is a mixture of tropical fruits tossed in a simple citrus or yogurt dressing if you’re more into creamier fruit salads.
What is in a tropical fruit salad?
A tropical fruit salad is made with tropical fruits, but you can always make it your own and add your favorite fruits to give it more variety. If you’re not planning on serving it immediately, choose a mix of fruits that won’t easily turn mushy.
How many calories in a tropical fruit salad?
The dressing and ingredients ultimately dictate the calories in your tropical fruit salad. For this recipe, the estimated calories are 818 kcal.
What to serve with tropical fruit salad?
Serve your tropical fruit salad with vegan whipped cream on top! It also makes a delicious side dish to other desserts like cheesecake. Or, for breakfast, serve this yummy fruit salad with overnight oats.
Can you make tropical fruit salad ahead of time?
While you can store your tropical fruit salad in the fridge for up to 2 days, it’s best to make it an hour before serving it. The delicate fruits may break down, and their juices can thin out the creamy dressing over time.
More Delicious Fruity Vegan Recipes
- Summer Fruit Salad
- Blueberry Peach Salsa
- Rainbow Fruit Nachos
- Berry Smoothie
- Apple Pear Slaw with Caramel Cider Vinaigrette (Use vegan caramel)
I found this recipe for Minted Fruit Kebabs that I HAVE to try!
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey – If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below.
Tropical Fruit Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 8- oz can pineapple tidbits, drained, reserving the juice for the dressing
- 2 large apples, chopped
- 1 cup red grapes, halved if they’re large
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 1 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
- 4 to 6 large strawberries, chopped
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup mandarin orange segments from about 2 mandarin oranges
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup plain dairy-free Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Combine the juice from the canned pineapple tidbits, coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, cornstarch, and water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring until thickened.
- Remove the dressing from the heat and cool completely. Once cooled, stir in the vegan Greek yogurt and refrigerate until ready to be used.
- To assemble, add all the fruits to a bowl and drizzle the yogurt dressing on top.
- Right before serving, gently toss the dressing with the prepared fruits until well coated.
Notes
- Get creative with your tropical fruit salad and add other fruits to the mix! Go for a variety of colors, textures, and flavors, and add fruits like fresh papaya, mango, cantaloupe, pomegranate, and blackberries.
- If you prefer a less indulgent take on your tropical fruit cup, swap the yogurt dressing for a simple honey lime dressing. The mixture of vegan honey, lime, and lemon juice adds just the right amount of sweetness and tanginess.
- This tropical fruit salad tastes best freshly made, but it’s also delicious when chilled. For leftovers, store the fruit salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days, as the fruits have a high water content that can thin out the creamy yogurt dressing.
I AM WITH YOU! I don’t really like fruit but I am getting better. Berries are my go to… their texture just suits me well. Here’s another hint, I don’t like veggies. Really only like iceberg lettuce and tomatoes. But I am trying to get better! WIll be trying this fruit salad. Thanks!
I am with you on the bananas. I can’t bring myself to eat a fruit salad if there are bananas in it.
I am totally shocked!!, Holly. Very hard to believe you would not like fruit. As for bananas they are my daily staple, and the BEST Smoothie thickener around! Actually, bananas are NOT a usual fruit used in “salads”, because they go brown and mushy. Usually, only crisp, firm fruits are used.. One could also use a sauce mixed into the fruit to make an Ambrosia dessert. You can also top your morning Greek yogurt with your fruit salad too. Try using mango or some of the other tropical fruits too, as they are very sweet too and go well in salads. Seedless grapes in salads are one of my favorites (nice & sweet). Try freezing grapes in the Summer, then pop them in your mouth! — refreshing, cold and delicious! Anyway, enjoy your new journey into the world of fruit, but I too, can “bulldoze” myself through a plain romaine lettuce salad! Yum!